One of the things you will hear when a group of single parents get together is that we often feel like when we are at home, we should be working and when we are at work—we should be taking care of home stuff. We need work flexibility and to be able to take off and tend to family business, but there is the worry and risk that we will slip behind or jeopardize our positions at work. How can we take care of family business and not compromise our work and careers?
I think that it can depend on the job and the position that you have. If you are lucky to have a position where there is some flexibility and you have some authority and autonomy, not to mention an understanding boss and/or work environment—it can be much easier to keep all the balls in the air than if you work in a place where you have to punch a time clock and the culture says that family and work don’t mix.
The first step in making sure that family and work mesh may be in the choosing of a job and workplace that can be accommodating to the realities of a single parent’s life. If it doesn’t seem obvious, it might be worth your time and sanity to have a conversation with your boss and talk over the possibilities. Are there ways that you can work from home? Take on a big project to work on during your off time in return for having more flexibility during the every day? Additionally, you can make sure that you are at work during the prime work hours and attending the right meetings. Staying in the loop and keeping your work in front of the right people (working more efficiently) can keep your career moving even if you are working less bulk hours.
I also think it helps to keep things in perspective and feel good about your choices. If you have made family your priority and are open and comfortable with it, it is surprising how the rest of your life can fall into place too. You might have to make some changes to your career, job or work environment to make it more compatible with family—but you will probably be happier in the long run.
Also: Consider a Relocation for Work or Opportunity
A Single Parent on the Job–Part One–Supportive Work Environments